Any suggestions ?

[whitesatinmopar]

Since I'm of the older generation and not updated in electronics I'm looking for a little advice please. When I retired a couple months ago the guys at the shop got together and presented me with a sizeable $$$ gift card. So I'm thinking of using it to purchase a new plazma flat screen (40-50"), but honestly don't know sh!t about them, and who can trust a salesman? Hey, they all sell the best, right. I'm not necessarily asking which brand is the best and most dependable, maybe the best approach is 'which ones should I avoid'?. I currently has a 60" Sharp that has served me well, but this new unit will be put down in the "Barn", I'm not moving the big screen, in fact when we sell the house it stays! I know ole Purple 1 (Dave) is electronically inclined, and I'm sure others here too know their "stuff", so any guidence will be appreciated. You don't have to respond to this post, but if ya don't you can send me a pm if you wish. Thanks a bunch guys........................     

[Bullitt-]

Avoid a Vizio...my mom was convinced by a friend of her's that they were good or better than most... Crap compared to my Sony Bravia that didn't cost very much more.

[71bigblock]

Yeah, Vizio is Walmart junk. 

Sony LCD's are nice, my cousin has had one a few years, still is performing fine. 

[73Chally]

Since it will be going in a barn I would not get a plasma, but rather an LCD.  Your best bet is to just go into a store and look at all the TVs together, without looking at brand names, and pick 2 or 3 that look the best.  Once you see a couple you like, do some research (Consumer Reports, C/NET, etc) to get real world reviews on the quality, and go from there.

[Chryco Psycho]

Panasonic has a good rep

[heminut]

The problem with LCD's that size is they get real expensive in a hurry! I just bought a 50" Samsung plasma from Sears for my den and am really pleased with it. I had to do some color adjusting right out of the box, but other than that it is working great and has a great picture! The only complaints I found about the Samsungs in the online reviews was that the speakers weren't very good. They sound okay to me, but I use a surround sound system anyway and wasn't worried about that aspect.

[pink panther]

I have a 50" sony grand Wega, it has an awesome picture, but  after so many hours you have to replace a buld ( I think it's like $100.00) I haven't had to do that yet. Price wasn't bad on the tv itself either

[whitesatinmopar]

Since it will be going in a barn I would not get a plasma, but rather an LCD. 

  I bet the "Barn" thing did throw off some of you. The "Mopar Barn" is a 35x50' steel and concrete garage with 14' ceilings at the peak inside. It has 8" walls filled with insulation and 10" of insulation in the roof. It houses our 5 Mopars and we have a small "appartment" built in there complete with a full size bed, including a full bath, kitchen, and laundry. It never gets below 45* even when no one is around, there is also a dehumidfier in a 24'x24' basement room. A/C is planned perhaps as early as this summer.......?

Anyway.............thanks thus far for the input. From the brands mentioned thus far it sounds like there is no  made variety? That figures, but most all electronic stuff comes out of Japan, it's to be expected I suppose. 

[71bigblock]

Although Toshiba isnt American owned, I believe that they are actually made somewhere in the US. 

[purple1]

Thanks for the vote of confedence buddy. I haven't studdied up on tv's for a few years.
But my personal fav's are the JVC brand. Had a JVC tv for years and beat the crap out of it with 3 kids.
It would also help to know what kind of price range you have in mind.

Dave

[70 383 SE]

I just bought a 52" Sony Bravia XBR6 it is excellent,especially in high def. If it is going in a room with alot of light in it from the sun, the Sony has a mat finish on the screen so there is no lite reflection on the screen. On Consumer Report it said the Samsung was a little better but it did not have the mat finish so light reflection would be an issue for me, so I got the Sony. I am not sorry.       KEN      northern

[Ross]

Bright location go with a LCD, dark location Plasma.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Jim,

  Since you have a 60", you should have a good idea of what the viewing area is. If you are looking at 40" or so, your seating will have to be around 8' or less. Think big buddy.     The #1 complaint people have after buying a wide screen, is they didn't go big enough.
Mike

[whitesatinmopar]

Jim,

  Since you have a 60", you should have a good idea of what the viewing area is. If you are looking at 40" or so, your seating will have to be around 8' or less. Think big buddy.     The #1 complaint people have after buying a wide screen, is they didn't go big enough.
Mike

Good point Mike, the viewing area distace where I'd place it will be 8-10', I was concerned about that because right now the 60" we now have (at the house) is about 15-20', I was wondering what size would be best. Thanks for bringing that up. And Ross makes a good point about interrior light, although there are three sets of sliding glass doors, the overall light is low at the garage in my estamation, so a plazma would probably be best suited. And seems most think a Sony to be the most popular..........? Price? Dave (Purple1) whichever I may choose it will be nearly half paid for due to my generous friends at the shop when I retired. Any way..............I got to have a nice TV to watch my Steelers when I'm down at the "Barn"  that little 30" model  at ten feet away makes me squint these old eyes. 

Thanks everyone for your input, I knew you'd all help me out.